Search

Currently, there is an increase in the resistance of microorganisms to the available arsenal of antimicrobial drugs, which makes it necessary to maintain and stimulate the body's own immune-protective properties. The main extraskeletal effect of vitamin D activity is associated with the homeostasis of the immune system. The role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of infection with infectious agents has been studied for a long time. Literature search on the effective use of vitamin D for immunoprophylaxis was carried out in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, clinicaltrials.gov databases over the past 10 years for related keywords: vitamin D, immunoprophylaxis. Vitamin D stimulates the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides, cathelicidins and defensins, which exhibit broad-spectrum activity against viruses, bacteria and fungal infections; reduces the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines; increases the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D is also involved in cell differentiation, maturation and proliferation of immune cells. The article presents the literature review in order to justify additional intake of vitamin D in case of diagnosis of its deficiency and insufficiency for the purpose of immunoprophylaxis in children and adults, especially in risk groups (elderly age, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases of respiratory, endocrine and urinary systems, gastrointestinal tract, and infectious diseases). Inclusion of vitamin D in the diet as a dietary supplement, as well as fortification of products with it, can be an effective measure to reduce the risk of both morbidity and mortality, especially during the period of quarantine measures., Competing Interests: The authors declare no overt and potential conflict of interest related to the publication of this article., (Copyright© GEOTAR-Media Publishing Group.)

The article discusses aspects of the regional (the European Union) and national (European countries) regulation of food supplements. The definition of the supplement category is given. The contemporary issues of nutrition in developed countries are discussed, and the essential role of food supplements in the diet is emphasized. In particular, the use of vitamins, minerals, botanicals and their chemical constituents in food supplements as well as the issue of setting maximum daily limits are discussed. The positive lists of vitamins, minerals and their chemical modifications are presented. The paper also outlines aspects of supplement safety, requirements for their labelling and pre-market notification procedure.

The article discusses various aspects of the regional (the European Union) and national (European countries) regulation related to food supplements. The use of botanicals and minor bioactive substances in food supplements, and their labelling are studied. The EU principle of mutual recognition is described in the context of current challenges that exist in the regulatory harmonisation between the EU member states. The concept of novel foods and novel ingredients is also presented, and the procedure of their pre-market approval is described in detail. Basic principles of using claims for food supplements are also outlined.

Dietary supplement use among athletes to enhance performance is proliferating as more individuals strive for obtaining that chemical competitive edge. As a result the concomitant use of dietary supplements containing performance-enhancing substances of those falling in the categories outlined in the current review, can also be expected to rise. This despite ever-increasing sophisticated analytical methodology techniques being used to assay dietary supplement and urine samples in doping laboratories. The reasons for this include that a variety of these chemical entities, many of them on the prohibited drug list of the WADA, are being produced on commercial scales in factories around the world (ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, sibutramine, methylhexaneamine, prohormones, 'classic' anabolic steroids, clenbuterol, peptide hormones etc.), aggressive marketing strategies are being employed by companies and these supplements can be easily ordered via e.g. the internet. It can also be anticipated that there will be an increase in the number of supplements containing 'designer' steroids and other 'newer' molecules. Chromatographic techniques combined with mass spectrometry leading to identification of molecular fragments and productions will assist in determining these substances. To prevent accidental doping, information regarding dietary supplements must be provided to athletes, coaches and sports doctors at all levels of competition. The risks of accidental doping via dietary supplement ingestion can be minimized by using 'safe' products listed on databases, e.g. such as those available in The Netherlands and Germany.

The content of some biologically active substances such as bioflavonoids, tannins and dietary fiber in various type of biologically active additive was analyzed. The results are shown that the content of bioflavonoids ranger from 26.0 to 3970.0 mg%, tannins--from 1.19 to 857.0 mg%, insoluble dietary fiber--from 4.56 to 67.89% and soluble dietary fiber from 1.0 to 66.8%.

The article informs about influence of gum arabic, baker's yeast extract, solids-non-fat and mixture of gum arabic and insoluble wheat fibres (Equacia) on the amount of bifidobacteria in the milk.

More simple method to estimate of alpha-amilase activity in special foods and food supplements is proposed.

A normative and legislative base of food supplements turnover in Russia in described in the article.

The articles contains the results of modern legislative base, regulating food supplements turnover in the USA, some European contries, as well as passed by European Parliament.

The article presents the history of food supplements' origin. The main requirements to them are given an account of the main legislative and normative documents, regulating the composition and considered as an important instrument for improving the structure and quality of nutrition of the population.

In article we would like to remind once of what each of the food supplement consumer should know. Food supplement is not a medicine, you can treat no illness with it. But at the same time we should understand, that it is impossible to live without them, as well as it impossible to live without food or the air. It is important to deepen one's knowledge of food supplements: what they consist of, which of them are health-giving and which are not.

The article describes the modern legislative and normative base of both Russian made and foreign made food supplements turnover. The main requirements to them. The reasons for banning the use of some particular ingredients in food supplements formula are substantiated. The ways of improving the normative base for food supplements as well as for medicines of vegetative origin are proposed. The conclusion is made, that this base is more perfect than for the medicines, produced from herbs.

It has been shown that vitamin C and B2, calcium and phosphorus daily intake strongly correlated with their urinary excretion in children 5-8 years old (Moscow) from the decreased bone mineral density risk group. Hour urinary calcium, phosphorus, creatinine excretion values for adequately supplied children has been determined. Vitamin and mineral status evaluation by means of estimation of vitamins and minerals consumption and urinary level (except vitamin B2) give relatively coincided results. Difference between these methods of nutritive status assessment attains 8-25 per cent. Thus these methods are substituted for group nutritive status evaluation.

Since 1996 by Drug and Medical Technology Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Republic Armenia there has been a record of biologically active supplements, and up to now it numbers 61 products. There has been created a database on biologically active supplements containing relevant information on producers, composition of the product, indications for applying etc. There have been cited some data on examining biologically active supplements and on criteria of such products appraisal. The parameters of not approved Dietary supplements Applications are included and the requirements for Dietary supplements Labels are described in it. There has been cited the division of registration biologically active supplements as per active ingredients and recommendations on use. According to the results of special questionnaire for the Yerevan policlinic doctors, there have been analyzed the spreading area and dynamics biologically active supplements prescription Also there has been estimated the adequacy of their prescription and doctors opinion this product.

A possibility to estimate a quality of bioactive supplements and probiotical foods by their influence on microecological system of a gastrointestinal tract are exhibited as a result of multiyear research. The consist and biological activity of micropopulations, including the normalization of level of protective intestinal microflora, the increasing their antibiosis activity, the elimination of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, the excretion of volatile phenols and indican with urine, the content of volatile fatty acids, enzymes, secretory immunoglobulins in feces, destruction in vitro cholic acid and cholesterol etc., are tested as indicators. The reasoned supposal is advanced that the wide spread of disbacteriosis is connected not only with changing of defence mechanisms (reactions) of macroorganism, but also with accumulation of pathogenic features in microorganisms by action of environmental factors.